Parlay Patz Admitted The Crime And Now Will Do The Time


Written By

Updated on

Parlay Patz

Parlay Patz has pled guilty.

Benjamin Tucker Patz, better known as “Parlay Patz,” pled guilty to a charge of transmitting threats in interstate or foreign commerce on Wednesday, according to a release from the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.

The 24-year-old faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Parlay Patz does the crime …

On July 20, 2019, Patz sent four Tampa Bay Rays players and one Chicago White Sox player threatening messages on Instagram.

One of the Rays players received the following threats:

According to the plea deal, Patz sent the messages knowing they’d be viewed as credible threats.

Parlay Patz will do the time

The Federal Bureau of Investigation picked up the case as part of the Integrity in Sport and Gaming Initiative. Patz was initially charged in March 2020.

The initiative is takes on the illegal sports betting market and criminal activity.

Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Scruggs is the prosecutor on the case. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.

A rise to internet fame on parlays

Patz became a known sports betting figure in November 2019 when a prominent reporter started to feature the college student. At the time, he was making trips from Manhattan to New Jersey to place bets, including 15-leg parlays.

At one point, he reportedly won $600,000 in less than a month.

He spent the money too, including making the NYC to NJ commute in a 2019 Mercedes C63 and flying a chartered plane to the British Virgin Islands.

Not a one-time threat

Even prior to Rovell’s feature that catapulted Patz to stardom, the bettor was making threats to athletes.

According to an initial affidavit from an FBI Special Agent, Patz sent his first threatening email to a Pepperdine University basketball player in March 2019. The threat included decapitation.

A search warrant discovered two Gmail accounts likely belonging to Patz had sent messages to 307 Instagram accounts owned by athletes. It wasn’t just athletes, however, as Patz allegedly made at least one threat to the girlfriend of an Atlanta Braves player.

Investigators searched Patz’s betting records with William Hill, finding a trend of threats connected to his losses.

According to the plea deal release, the agreed-upon charges stemmed from the White Sox-Rays threats.